The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-11-02


Bill were unfouGaws of a remarkable,escar
fore an honest, truthful ale death. ri
bill. The President in that message yipg {
that said bill would only help the unde-
serving and not the honest Soldier who is
deserving of help at the hands of the Gov
ernment, &c.
Now, Mr.. Editor and Comrades, let us
consider this matter honestly and with
sincerity, and see if possible the real facts,
and who Mr.. Cleveland ard the whiffiing
press of the country call dead BEATS" &c.
According to Mr.. Cleveland there are two
classes of ex-soldiers, /. e., The undeserv-
ing and the deserving; to this we say,
true. OF course the National Democrat
thinks the latter, or honest class. is very
small, and he (Clevelandl says in the mes
sage as above stated, that said bill would
only help the undeserving, &c. Let us
purge this matter little and see who
compose this "undeserving class" whom
Mr.. Cleveland and his henchmen despise
with so much holy horror. Every old
Soldier knows, and every sound thinking
individual ought to know, that under the
present laws by which pensions are grant
ed surgical or Hospital record is inval-
liable and in fact without such a record
you might count the pensioners upon
your fingers; those records have been
kept with jealous care in the Surgeon Gen
erals Office in Washington. Now, there
are two classes who have made medical or
hospital records, viz:
First. That class which enlisted with
pure, patriotic motives and impulses.
They committed their families to the care
of kind and merciful God, and hospital
ity of loyal, generous humanity. and rush
ed to the camp and scene of action they
proved themselves worthy of the name of
Soldier along the march and upon the field
of action; they pass into action one, two,
or perhaps dozen times at last theg are
carried from the field by their comrades
bleeding; they have fought a good fight
and their names are now transferred to
the hospital records. While others of this
same patriotic class sooner or later fall
victims to some dreaded diseases which
proved as fatal TO the Northern man as did
the enenly's guns; they grasp their more
| fortunate comrades by the hand, breathe
"God bless you" upon them and are hur-
ried away from their mess mates to the
hospital, and they, too, make a record in
| spite of themselves; and we here say that
no men or set of men having in their heart
ole ounce Of patriotism or one drop of the
milk of human kindness, would rank
these noble men among the bummers or
undeserYing at the hands of our redeemed
country.
Second. Another class, land thank God
it is comparatively small" are those who
had not the moral regard for themselves
even after enlisting to do anything save
| bunming from first to last around the
officers and surgeons tents they could
eat more salt-hOrso and hard-b bread in
| three days than a Government mule could
carry, and at the same time attend "qui-
nine call" every morning; they were
never able to perform camp duty, much
less the more necessary duty upon the
battlefield; by their regularity in attend
ing quinine call they become well known
TO the surgeons; the records they here
made are as lasting in the memory of all
as the man himself. At last the officers
and surgeon look upon the ease as a hope
less one, and in order TO save rations and
quinine at the front, for more hopeful